Warrior Beat

Questions, questions, questions … > Who will be available for the Warriors? The Warriors have had health issues the past week, including a player who was initially left behind because of an illness but was a possibility to arrive yesterday afternoon. > Will the Warriors correct the problems caused by San Diego State last week. The Warriors have made tweaks in all phases the past week. The test is today. > Who will start at quarterback for the Rebels? Armani […]

LAS VEGAS — If Las Vegas is Hawaii’s home away from home, then Liberty High is UH’s second playground. With former players Greg Tipton, Uriah Moenoa and Chad Kapanui in attendance, the Warriors had a brisk walk-through session today at Liberty High. After years of struggles, Liberty has transformed into a football powerhouse. Two years ago, Liberty outscored Mililani 77-53. It was a loaded Mililani team featuring McKenzie Milton, Vavae Malepeai and current Warrior Kalakaua Timoteo. Kapanui is a Liberty […]

The Warriors were all business during this morning’s practice, the final one on the Manoa campus this week ahead of Saturday’s road game against UNLV. The Warriors were scheduled to depart this afternoon. Head coach Nick Rolovich noted it was the Warriors’ only direct flight this season. They worked on schemes against the scouts before concluding with a 2-minute drill between the top offense and defense. The big play was Dru Brown’s long completion to wideout Marcus Armstrong-Brown.

More than a dozen NFL scouts have booked plans to watch the Warriors play in this weekend’s game against UNLV. The top UH senior prospects, we’ve been told, are safety Trayvon Henderson, defensive end Meffy Koloamatangi, running back Diocemy Saint Juste and left tackle Dejon Allen. Allen projects as a guard or center at the next level. There also is an NFL team looking at left guard John Wa‘a.

Jimmy Morimoto, the director of football operations, has been approved to recruit. The Warriors were down a recruiter after Chris Naeole resigned as offensive line coach four weeks ago. Morimoto fulfilled a similar role at Fresno State last year after head coach Tim DeRuyter was fired. Morimoto coached at Baldwin High for 15 years, the last two as head coach, before working at UNLV and then Fresno State. * * * * * This is the inaugural Island Showdown Trophy […]

If it’s Monday, it’s video reviews and conditioning drills for the Warriors, who are looking to break even in the Mountain West. At 1-4 in the MW, the Warriors need to win their final three league games. Two of those games will be on the road, beginning with Saturday’s showdown against UNLV. The Warriors are hopeful of getting back linebacker Malachi Mageo sometime this season. He still is awaiting medical clearance from an ACL injury suffered in the spring. But […]

Negatives would be positives for the Warriors in the aftermath of last night’s 28-7 loss to San Diego State. The Warriors are hoping for negative results from medical tests on center Asotui Eli, left guard John Wa‘a and right guard J.R. Hensley. All three starters did not finish the game. The Warriors also will seek to solve the least productive offensive output (195 yards) in Rolovich’s 10-year coaching career. “Our executing on third down (2-of-14) was bad,” Rolovich said. On […]

When it comes to the Hawaii-San Diego State football rivalry, there are three things that come to mind: > Last year’s 55-0 shellacking in San Diego, the first time Nick Rolovich absorbed a shutout as a coach or player. > The Aztecs’ 14 conference victories in a row in this series. > Running back Marshall Faulk, who rushed for 212 yards in 1991, 300 and four touchdowns in 1992, and 175 in 1993. Honorable mention would be Az Hakim catching […]